Device for starting internal-combustion engines



S. L. PRICE. I DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGiHES.

Ar'Pucmon "(0 Dec. 15.1920.

1,379,361. "-Papmea my 24;--1921.

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PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY LEOPOLD PRICE; OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 24, 1921..

Application filed December 15, 1920. Serial No. 430,986.

To all whom it may cmwe'rn:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY Lnoronn Pinon, of 62 Eagle street, Holborn, London, W. C. 2, England, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Devices for Starting Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to devices for starting internal combustion engines of the type in which an electrically driven motor provided with a threaded spindle working in a pinion provio ed with an internal thread causes the pinlon,to travel on the spindle and mesh with a gear wheel on the engine shaft, and start the engine, but which on starting, causes the pinion to travel back on thespindle and ut the starting motor out of engagemer? with the engine,means being provided to y revent the pinion from rotating on the spindle on the inward movement.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved device of this type.

In a starting device made in accordance with this invention the pinion on the motor spindle or sleeve thereon is held from turning for the purpose of engaging the gears by. a stud or plunger pressed into engagement with the pinion by a spring and in some cases I provide grooves on the pinion iior the stud to engage with or without one or more clutches on the motor spindle so that the engine may be started gradually in a manner well known in starting devices and, for that purpose the threaded spindle may take the form of a. sleeve'with a spring pressed clutch or clutches between the spindie and sleeve, the clutch yielding sufilciently if necessary to insure gradual starting.

The pinion may be provided with an extension having an annular groove or grooves.

. Referring to the drawings filed herewith z- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of device made in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2, 2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a mod fied construction Fig. 4: is a transverse section similar to Fig. 2, but showing a dillerent form of the grooves from that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view illustrating the annulargrooves f on the extension of the pinion; and,

Fig. 6 is an end view of the extension shown in Fig. 5.

The spindle a of the starting motor a is provided with a quick thread I). On the spindle a is a pinion a having an inclined thread and an extensional provided with grooves 6 adapted to engage a spring pressed stud f on the casing 57.

The pinion c is provided with teeth h adapted to engage a spur wheel j on the fly wheel is secured to the shaft 1% of the engino to be started. The spindle a is provided with a stop a In use when it is desired to start the engine the motor a is set in motion causing the pinion to travel along the spindle at until the sleeve (1 of the pinion c is out of engagement with the stud 7' and the pinion is in engagement with thespur wheel j. The pinion a coming against the stop a rotates with the spindle (L and starts the engine.

In the modified construction shown in Ilg. 3 the threaded spindle is in the form of a sleeve 2 on the spindle of the motor.

The sleeve 2 is provided with a stop 4 and a spring 6. The sleeve 2 is further pro vided with one member 3 of a clutch device adapted to engage the other member 7 of .the clutch on the spindle. A spring 5 keeps the members in contact. The sleeve 2" is also provided with a clutch member 8 which engages with another clutch member 9 keyed to the spindle and capable of sliding there on. The spring 5 presses on the clutch member 9, the pressure being transmitted to the other clutch members. In use the operation is as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, but on the pinion oreaching the stop 4 after compressing the spring 6, the clutch parts slip sulliciently on one another to permit the engine to he started without shock, it being understood that the tension of the springs 5 is suliicient to revent the slipping of the clutch mem ers under normal operation. In the case of a back fire the clutches yield and so prevent damage to the pinion.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the extension (I of the pinion c'is proviced with annular grooves e and a longitudinal groov e to prevent the rebound of the pinion after disengagement of the gears.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A starting device for internal combustion engines, comprising, in combination, a threaded spindle, an internally threaded pinion in engagement with said spindle and provided with an exteriorly grooved axial e);- tension, and a spring-pressed plunger in, position to engage the grooves of said extension for preventing rotation of the pinion with said spindle.

2. A starting device for internal ('olnlmstion engines, comprising, in combination, a

rotatable spindle, an exteriorly threaded sleeve mounted for rotation on said spindle,

cooperating clutch members carried by the spindle and sleeve for rotating said sleeve- 

